Strand control apparatus



Oct. 20, 1970 J. v. KEITH ETAL 3,534,922

STRAND CONTROL APPARATUS Filed March 11, 1968 Fl G. 3

INVENTORS 88 JOHN M KEITH BY HANS H. TER F G. 4

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,534,922 STRAND CONTROL APPARATUS John V. Keith and Hans H. Richter, Warwick, R.I., as-

signors to Leesona Corporation, Warwick, R.I., a corporation of Massachusetts Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 537,526,

Mar. 25, 1966. This application Mar. 11, 1968,

Ser. No. 712,142

Int. Cl. B65h 57/00 US. Cl. 242157 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A guide for a strand of yarn. An advancing strand of yarn is supported on a cushion of air as the strand passes about a base portion of the guide and between opposed guide elements extending from the base portion. Means at opposite ends of the base retard leakage of the air and prevent the strand from engaging the base and possibly being damaged thereby. A retaining member is provided for keeping the strand between the guide elements and this member is automatically movable to permit convenient threading of the strand into the guide.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application U.S. Ser. No. 537,526, filed Mar. 25, 1966, now Pat. No. 3,393,880.

The invention relates generally to improvements in strand handling equipment and, more particularly, to an improved guide for a strand of yarn.

Throughout the present specification and claims, the term yarn is employed in a general sense to indicate any kind of attenuated material.

The above indicated earlier patent application is directed to a yarn guide which supports a strand of yarn on a cushion of air. As the strand passes through the guide, the cushion of air causes the strand to arch so that variations in tension in the strand result in variations in the shape of the arch, increased tension tending to flattened the arch and reduced tension causing a deeper arch. The guide is useful on a compensator arm control of a high speed winding machine for absorbing fluctuations in yarn tension resulting from traversing the yarn to and from as it is wound onto a takeup package, rather than such fluctuations being reflected in movement of the arm.

Guiding or supporting the advancing strand of yarn on a cushion of air is particularly advantageous in false twist heaters since such guides permit the yarn to be directed in a circuitous path through the heater, thus substantially shortening the heater length over that which would be required to obtain the same resultant yarn heating in a straight pass through the heater. These and other advantages are more fully discussed in the earlier application. It is desirable to conserve compressed air or other fluid which provides the cushion of air, and to prevent unthreading of the strand of yarn from the guide.

The present guide is an improvement over the earlier guide in that provision is made for eifectively retarding excessive escape of the cushion of air from the guide and in provision for retaining the strand in the guide while permitting convenient insertion of the strand into the guide.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved guide for a strand.

Another object is to provide a new and improved guide for strand material in which the strand is supported on a cushion of fluid and the guide has provision for retarding escape of the fluid.

Still another object is provision of a new and improved guide for strand material in which the strand is supported "ice on a cushion of air as it passes between opposed guiding elements having free ends for the insertion of the strand into the guide, with provision for retaining the strand in the guide while permitting convenient threading of the strand into the guide. A related object is provision of such a guide having provision for retarding escape of the cushion of air from the guide.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, foreshorten perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the guide of this invention, illustrated as part of a compensator arm assembly on a winding machine;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are enlarged sectional views taken generally along the lines 22 and 3-3, respectively, in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary rear view of a portion of the guide as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, a panel 10 of a winding machine fixedly mounts a collar 12 through which a supporting rod 14 fixed to a compensator arm 16 is pivoted. A yarn guide 18 is fixedly secured to the left end of the compensator arm 16 and an adjustable counterbalancing weight 20 is slidably received in a channel-shaped right end of the arm. The weight is secured by a bolt 22 extending from the weight through an elongated slot 24 in the arm, with a nut 26 on the bolt tightened against the arm to hold the weight in place. During operation of the winding machine the strand of yarn Y substantially reverses direction (note FIG. 2) as it is advanced through the guide 18 and is wound onto a takeup package (not shown) in a normal manner. The arm 16 and related control equipment (not shown) main tains a constant tension in the yarn by varying the speed at which the yarn is wound onto the takeup package. As previously mentioned, the guide 18 is obviously applicable to numerous and various other environments for handling various types of strand material.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the guide 18 has a pair of substantially parallel, opposed finger or guide elements 28 including a front guide element 28a and a rear guide element 2811. These guide elements are preferably aluminum or other suitable material and are spaced apart by a seal member or insert 30. This insert provides a base portion for sealing and spacing the adjacent ends of the guide elements 28 and may be of any suitable seal or gasket material such as Artus plastic shim stock sold by The Artus Corporation, Englewood, N.J., and available in various thicknesses. The guide elements 28 and the insert 30 are clamped together by a fitting 32 having a shoulder 34 which abuts a suitable sealing Washer 36 seated against the rear guide element 28b, and a threaded free end 38 which receives a nut 40 tightened against another sealing washer 42 positioned against the front guide element 28a. This fitting 32 further serves to secure the guide 18 to the compensator arm 16 by provision of a rear end 44 of the fitting which extends through a hole 46 in the compensator arm 16 and is threaded to receive a nut 48 which is tightened against a washer 50 abutting the rear face of the compensator arm.

A suitable fluid, preferably pressurized air, for example at 30 p.s.i.g. for denier yarn at 3000 yards per minute winding speed and 20 grams yarn tension, is supplied through a hose 52 connected through a nipple 54 (FIG. 3) at the rear end 44 of the fitting 32, with a longitudinal passage 56 communicating with cross passages 58 terminating in ports 60 in a cylindrical side wall 62 of the fitting. These ports 60 open into a plenum chamber 64 defined by a cutout portion 66 (FIG. 2) in the insert 30 and aligned cutout portions 68 in inner faces 70 of the guide elements 28. From the plenum chamber 64 the pressurized air passes through a slot or air inlet 72 (FIGS. 2 and 3) formed by the cutout portion 66 of the insert 30 and the inner faces 7 t} of guide elements 28. This air inlet 72 opens into a strand receiving zone 74 between the opposed inner faces 70 of the guide elements 28 with the zone 74 extending from the inlet 72 toward opposed free ends 76a and 76b of the guide elements 28a and 28b respectively.

As the air passes through the inlet 72 and into the strand receiving zone 74 it engages the strand Y and provides a cushion of air supporting the strand in a generally arched path, as seen in FIG. 2. Under constant air pressure, the amount of arching of the strand Y will remain substantially constant so long as the tension in the strand remains constant. If the strand tension is increased the arching will tend to flatten out, and if the tension is reduced the arching will become greater. It should be noted that the spacing between the opposed inner faces 70 of the guide elements 28 is such as to permit relatively free sliding movement of the strand Y therealong while holding the strand against lateral movement relative to the guide 18 and holding the escape of air between the arched portion of the strand and the opposed faces 70 of the guide elements 28 to a minimum. For example with 150 denier polyster or nylon yarns an insert 30 providing a spacing of .010 inch is satisfactory. Similarly, with such yarn of 840 denier a spacing of .020 inch is satisfactory, and with such yarn of 1300 denier a spacing of .025-.030 inch is satisfactory.

In order to maintain the insert 30 and the guide ele ments 28 in proper alignment, snug fitting pins, preferably a smooth sinter ceramic such as aluminum or titanium oxides, are provided at opposite ends 78 (FIG. 2) of the insert. At each end 78 is a small pin 80 and spaced therefrom a larger pin 82, these pins being snugly received in suitable apertures in the guiding elements 28 and in suitable cutout portions of the insert 30, the cutouts closely conforming to the configuration of the pins. The smaller pins of the guide elements 28 and thus provide an effective seal against the escape of air around the end portions 78 of the insert 30. If desired, the larger pins 82 may also be spaced inwardly from the outer edges 84 of the guide elements 28 to provide additional sealing. The pins 80 and 82 also effectively prevent the advancing strand of yarn Y from engaging the insert 30 and possibly being damaged thereby.

In threading the guide 18, the strand Y is inserted between the free ends 76a and 76b of the guide elements 28 and, as shown best in FIG. 3, the opposed inner faces of the free ends are beveled outwardly to facilitate insertion of the strand, and the rear guide element 28b is slightly longer than the front guide element 280:. As the strand Y is inserted, it engages a retaining member in the form of a peg 88 pivoted, by means of a pin 90, on a mounting block 92 bolted to the rear face 94 of the rear guide element 28b, and extending through aligned elongated slots 96 in the guide elements. The entering strand Y pivots the peg 88 upwardly and out of the way, and thereafter the peg 88 pivots back to a normal position as shown, thus preventing removal of the strand Y through the free ends of the guide. This is particularly advantageous in threading-up since the air pressure may be manually varied sufficiently to otherwise blow the strand from between the guide elements. As may best be seen in FIG. 3, the retaining member is pivoted on the pin 90 which extends through opposed legs 98 of the block 92. In the normal position, the bottom of the peg 88 rests on an abutment 100 of the block 92, and as the peg 88 is pivoted by the entering strand, its movement is limited by a second abutment 102 extending generally in the same direction as the guide elements 28. If desired, a suitable spring or other means (not shown) may be provided to urge the peg to its normal position, and this is particularly desirable if the operating 7 5 orientation of the guide is reversed so that the free ends 76a and 76b of the guide elements 28 are uppermost.

While this invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment in a particular environment, various changes may be apparent to one skilled in the art and the invention is therefore not to be limited to such embodiment or environment.

What is claimed is:

1. A guide for a strand, comprising receiving means including a pair of opposed, spaced apart guide elements and a base portion extending between said elements and having opposite ends, to define a restrictive zone between the guide elements for receiving the strand for passage of the strand transversely between the guide elements; means for supporting the strand on a cushion of fluid along a path extending between said elements and about said ends and including inlet means at said base portion for injecting the fluid into said zone and against the strand, and means for effectively retarding the escape of said fluid about at least one of said ends.

2. A guide as set forth in claim 1 in which the retarding means comprises seal means, one adjacent each of said opposite ends and along said path, and said guide elements extend outwardly from said seal means, whereby the strand passes within th confines of said guide elements as it crosses said seal means.

3. A guide as set forth in claim 2 in which each said seal means comprises a smooth curved face at the respective end of said base portion, to receive said strand.

4. A guide as set forth in claim 2 in which each said seal means comprises a pin securely anchored in said guide elements and positioned along said path at the respective end of said base portion to receive said strand.

5. A guide as set forth in claim 2 in which said receiving means effectively retards escape of said fluid between the strand and said guide elements and permits substantially free movement of the strand between to said guide elements.

6. A guide as set forth in claim 5 in which said guide elements have generally opposed free ends spaced from said base portion and said zone is between said base portion and said free ends, said inlet means is operable for injecting said fluid against said strand in a direction from said base portion toward said free ends at an intermediate portion of the guide elements and at said ends of said base portion in a direction transverse between said elements and toward said retarding means, said retarding means is further operative for effectively preventing the strand from engaging the base portion and said retarding means comprises pins mounted in said guide elements and having smooth faces extending between said guide elements, the faces extending outwardly from said base portion to receive said strand, at least one of said pins adjacent each of said opposite ends of said base portion, and said guide elements extend outwardly from said faces of at least one of said pins at each of said ends of said base portion so that the strand passes within the confines of said guide elements as it crosses said faces.

7. A guide as set forth in claim 6 in which each said guide element has a slot at said free end, and retaining means for effectively preventing the strand from passing from said zone in a direction outwardly past said free ends of said guide elements and for movement of said strand past said free ends and into said zone and including a member pivotally mounted on one of said guide elements for movement between a normal position extending across said guide elements and into said slots to retain the strand against movement outwardly past said free ends and another position for movement of said strand past said free ends and into said zone.

8. A guide as set forth in claim 1 in which said guide elements have generally opposed free ends spaced from said base portion and said zone is between said base portion and said free ends, and retaining means for effectively preventing the strand from passing from said Zone in a direction outwardly past said free ends of said guide elements.

9. A guide as set forth in claim 8 in which said retaining means are operative for movement of said strand inwardly past said free ends and into said zone.

10. A guide as set forth in claim 9 in which said retaining means comprises a member movable between a normal position extending across said guide elements near said free ends to retain the strand against said movement outwardly past said free ends and another position for said movement of said strand inwardly past said free ends and into said Zone.

11. A guide as set forth in claim 10 in which each said guide element has a slot at said free end and said member is pivotally mounted on one of said guide elements for movement between said positions and extends into said slots in said normal position.

12. A guide for a strand comprising, a pair of spaced Walls defining an extended passage along which the strand may be shifted, said passage having a width along its full extent to permit free advance of the strand, said passage extending outwardly toward a free area, means for injecting fluid into said zone and against said strand in a direction toward said tree area, retaining means positioned to define one limit of said passage and operable to prevent passage of the yarn into said free area, said walls each having a slot near outer ends thereof, said retaining means being pivotally mounted in the slot of one of the walls and extending into the slot of the other wall when in a yarn retaining position, said retaining means being pivotable to an open position to admit said strand to said passage.

13. A guide as set forth in claim 12 wherein said retaining means pivots inwardly into said passage when in its open position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,662,475 3/1928 Royce 242-157 2,323,987 7/1943 Foster 242157 XR 2,557,591 6/1951 Benson 242-157 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,140,629 7/1957 France.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner W. H. SCHROEDER, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 226196 

